Holder for terminals of violet-ray apparatus



Feb. 3, 1925. 1,524,876

T. MUELLER ET AL HOLDER FOR TERMINALS 0F VIOLET RAY APPARATUS Filed Sept. 8, 1922 INvEmTfiR THEEIDEIHE MUELLER THEEIDEIHE 5. LURENZE Q QM MW AT-rvs.

Patented Feb.- 3, 1925.

THEODORE MUELLER AND THEODORE S. LOBENZE/OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE MASTER ELECTRIC ILLINOIS.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF HOLDER FOR TERMINALS OF VIOLET-BAY APPARATUS.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be .it known that we, Tunonom: MUELLER and Tnnononn S. Lom'mza, citizens of the United States, residin r at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Holders for Terminals of Violet-Ray Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electro-therapeutical instruments. It is concerned particularly with the provision of a holder for the terminals or electrodes of violet ray apparatus and the like.

Instruments of this character are used ex- 1 tensively in administering electric treatments for a variety of ailments and diseases and operate with glass electrodes of diflerent shapes and sizes suited to the special requirements of different kinds of cases. These electrodes being relatively fragile are freuentl broken despite careful manipulation either by the terminal of the electrode binding in its holder when it is sought to remove the electrode or by dropping the instrument or in divers other ways lt was rather difiicult to remove the terminal piece thus left lodged in the instrument because the same could not be gotten at very well due to the fact that the terminal holder was usually a permanently assembled part of the instrument and could not therefore be removed to afford access to the terminal piece.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to avoid this difficulty by pro- 86 viding a novel arran ement in the instrument whereby the ho der for the electrode terminal may be removed with facility to permit easy access to the terminal piece in the holder and thus to effect its removal.

Another object is to provide a novel construction for the holder whereby it is possible to eject the terminal piece by insertin a tool into the holder behind the piece to (Tislod e it.

'fiiese and other objects attained by the construction and arrangement of the present invention will be made to appear in the followin detailed description.

In t e drawin illustrating the invention,

Figure 1 is a section through a violet ray instrument embodying our improved construction for the, holder and the arrangement thereof as a part of the mechanism of the in- 8, 1922. Serial 110.. 586,843.

strument. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of the end of the instrument in which the electrode is mounted. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detached elevational'detail of the holder with an electrode terminal therein, and Fig. 4 is a view of the same partin section and on an enlarged scale, the terminal being shown in elevation.

Throughout the following description the same numerals will be applied to corresponding parts.

Violet ray apparatus of the types now commonly available are usually operated by connection with an ordinary lamp socket. The extension cord shown at 10 is arranged to supply current intermittently to the current-lnfluencin means indicated generally at 11, the particular details of which it will not be necessary to describe. It will suliice to state that the current to the influencing means 1i is interrupted by the interrupter vibrator 12 which may conveniently be adjustableas to frequency by an adjusting screw 13. In the operation of the vibrator a continuous stream of sparks is discharged from the filament of the electrode 14. The sparks, which are violet in color, penetrate the wall of the elect rode and when discharged on the affected parts, have been found toproduce beneficial results in the treatment of chronic nervous and muscular conditions.

The foregoing description will suflice to give a general impression of the. kind of instrument with which the present invention is concerned.

Instruments of this kind at present available frequently have the current-influencing means and the vibrator removable from its casing for the purpose of inspection or repair. The holder or socket for the electrode terminal, however, as a general rule, was a fixed part of the instrument and could not be removed. Th electrode 14,0fxvl1ich1nany different sbapes zand sizes are used in practice, are relative y fragile and, despite careful handling. frequently are broken either in removing the electrode to replace it with another electrode of a different kind or when the instrument is laid or dropped carelessly. In such event the terminal piece 15 was left lodged in the holder. The latter, being a permanent part of the instru- 26 projecting ment, could not be removed to permit the removal of the terminal piece. It was therefore a tedious operation to remove the terminal piece b probing or prying about in the broken ofl end thereof. There was also the likelihood of injury by being cut by the jagged, broken-01f end of the bulb of the electrode.

in the present invention this difliculty is obviated by mounting the holder 16 for the electrode with the current influencing means 11 and the vibrator l2 as-a unit upon the cap 17 threaded in the open end of the easing 18. The holder 16 fits loosely in the bore 19 of the neck portion 20 of the casing 18 to permit a certain degree of freedom of movement of the electrode so that it will not be so easily broken if jarred. In the construction provided, the nose 20 having the opening 19 smaller than the interior of the casing 18 forms a shoulder 20 between which and the cap 17, themechanism within the casing is compressed. The'holder 16 has suitable electrical connections with the current influencing means preferably by means of a metallic core 21 (see Fig. 4). The casing 18 is hollow and serves to house the current influencing means and its vibrat-or and also serves as a handle for manipulating the electrode ;in treating the patient. It will be appreciated that in the event the electrode 14 is broken, the cap 17 may be unscrewed to remove the electrical mechanism with the holder '16 to afford easy access to the terminal piece 15 left lodged in the holder. Thus the piece can be removed quite easily to be replaced by another electrode.

We prefer to rovide a special construction for the hol er to facihtatedislodging the terminal piece. The holders are usually of the type which afford a friction grip on the terminal portion of the electrode, the electrode being inserted by straight longitudinal movement into the holder. Cominonly'such holders were formed with inturned edges atthe mouth thereof as shown at 22 to snap over the ridge at the junction of the terminal piece with the stem of the electrode. The friction grip-was produced invarious manners and frequently was the cause of the terminal binding when it was sought to remove the electrode. According to the present invention the holder 16' is made tubular and soldered or otherwise made integral with a metallic cap 23 fastened by means of the screw 24 threaded into an internally threaded socket in the end of thecore 21. The core 21 is illustrated as projecting through a central opening in the wooden disk 25, and in order to prevent the holder 16 from turning relative thereto. we prefer to provide two or more pins from the inner face of the ring 23 into the disk 25. The wall of the holder is provided with a longitudinal slot 27 which may be made to extend the entire length of the holder or at least slightly be,- yond the depth to which the terminal piece extends into the holder in order to ailord a substantial opening therebehind through which a tool may be inserted to dislodge the piece from the. holder. To further facilitate entering a tool into the holder behind the terminal piece, we prefer to provide an intersecting transverse slot 28. tongue 29 is thus formed on one side of the slot 27 which is adapted to serve as a spring tongue for frietionally engaging the side of the terminal piece when entered in the holder.

Thus the slots in the holder serve a double purpose. They serve to admit a tool into the holder for QJPCUUg the terminal piece and also define a spring tongue for gripping the terminal piece when it is introduced into the holder.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the construction and arrangement of the present invention obviate the difiiculty arising from the constructions employed in the earlier forms of violet-rayapparatus. In the accompanying claims it is sought to cover all modifications and adapta tions of the invention which would occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

.We claim as our invention:

1. An electro-therapeutical instrument of v the character described having, in combina tion, a tubular casing having a nose at one end thereof .with a hole therein axial of the casing, a cap for the other end of the casing, current influencing means mounted on sald cap to till the casing, an electrode holder mounted at the end of said current influencin g means to extend into the hole in the nose,

and an electrode to be mounted in the holder.

2. An electro-therapeutic device of the character described having, in combination, an electrode, a casing having a hole in one end thereof and a screw-threaded opening at the other end, andcontents for the easing associated rigidly in axial alinement, said contents comprising a screw-cap for, said threaded opening of the casing, current influencing means mounted on the cap, an electrode holder mounted on the current influencing means, the end of said holder being within the casing axially alined with said hole therein, the electrode being adapted for insertion through the'hole to be grasped by the holder.

3. An electro-therapeutic device of the character described having, incombination, an electrode, a casing having a nose thereon for the other end of the casing, current influencin means mounted on the cap, a member at te end of said means to fit against the shoulder, a socket holder mounted on said member to fit in the hole in the nose, and means to mount the cap on the casing to hold said member against said shoulder, the electrode being adapted for insertion into the hole in the nose to be engaged by the holder.

4. In a therapeutic device of the characle-r described having a casing and an elec trical C011 therein with a core and a holder for an electrode, the core having electrleal contact with the holder, and means to as a clamping abutment for the coil within the casing.

5. In a therapeutical device of the character described having a casing and an electrical coil therein with a core and a holder for an electrode having electrical contact with the core, a terminal member for the coil with a hole therein, the core being alined with said hole, means to secure the holder to the core against said member, said means extending into the hole in the member to. connect electrically the holder and the core, and providing an abutting surface for the coil within the casing.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto allixed our signatures.

THEODORE MUELLER. THEODORE S. LORENZE. 

